With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, Team Switzerland could prove a serious medal-contender if recent results are anything to go by. An experienced home-side took decisive win at the fourth leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ this week, with three of the four team members finishing in the top four of this CCIO4*-Nations Cup held in Avenches (SUI). Leading throughout the competition, their final score of 134.6 put them way out in front of Italy who finished on a score of 160.0 and Germany who were third with 231.9. 

The Swiss team was made up of three riders who competed in the last Olympics in Tokyo and are hopeful of representing their nation in Paris in just over a month's time. Robin Godel’s fantastic partnership with his evergreen performer, Grandeur de Lully CH looked as strong as ever in Avenches. The pair finished in first place individually after riding one of the fastest cross-country rounds of the day, in a competition which saw no combinations go clear inside the time. Godel and the lovely Swiss-bred gelding have been a mainstay of the Swiss team and competed in a number of Nations Cup events with success. 

Speaking after the prize giving, Gödel summed up what it meant for them and the benefits that come with competing as a team in these competitions. “It is a wonderful result for the team and to win at home. It is very important to see how the team reacts and connects together. It was the last preparation for Paris and it is always beneficial for the team to perform together and a good preparation for the Games. It is also important for a championship where a team result counts. It is always a pleasure to compete in a Nations Cup.”

Godel was joined by his experienced Swiss teammate Felix Vogg on Dao de l’Ocean who finished second individually; together with Mélody Johner with her equine partner for Tokyo and the FEI World Championships in Pratoni, Toubleu de Rueire, who at seventeen years old looked as good as ever whilst contesting the undulating terrain of the cross-country course. The final rider hoping to head to Paris was Nadia Minder, riding the Polish bred gelding, Top Job’s Jalisco, who climbed the leaderboard from 26th after the dressage to 11th overall, after a positive cross-country performance. 

The cross-country time proved the biggest challenge for most riders, explained Godel. “Nobody ended up the cross country in time. This cross is famous for turning a lot and we did not have a lot of long line to gallop and gain some time.  I was very happy with my horse because we have good consistency. For a few years we met some difficulties for the jumping, now it’s under control and it is from there we chaise some good results. We could see it today he did a lot of progress in this discipline. I am very happy because it was his last event before Paris. It was very close to my heart to perform well and achieve a good result to have confidence for this event. 

“For me it is always a bit special because I feel at home. It is very different because a lot of close family came to support me. It is always a pleasure. Since the beginning of the international championship in Avenches we did not miss any championship. It is always a goal that I have in my schedule. Being able to win gives some great feelings.”

There were just three teams competing at Avenches, a picturesque event held at the National Equestrian Institute (IENA). Italy, who claimed the final team ticket for Paris by being the highest place team in the Nations Cup Series, not already qualified, also sent an experienced team of riders who are vying for a place in Paris. Whilst Germany had just three riders looking to gain invaluable team experience. 

Switzerland and Italy are in joint first in the Nations Cup standings at this halfway point. Both nations have 180 points. The Series will now move to Strzegom in Poland later this month (20-23 June), for the fifth event in this eight-leg Series which concludes at Boekelo (NED) in October.  

FULL RESULTS

Image: Felix Vogg, Nadja Minder, Robin Godel and Mélody Johner celebrate victory in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ in Avenches (SUI) 2024. © FEI / Martin Dokoupil

Today marks the 50-day countdown to the start of the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the excitement is mounting with every moment.

The three Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping will take centre stage in the beautiful gardens of the Palace of Versailles from 26 July to 6 August, so here are some things you might like to know when marking your calendar and making your plan to follow it from start to finish, whether you are travelling to the French capital or watching the action from afar.

The venue

Initially built as a simple hunting lodge, the magnificent Château de Versailles was home to the court of Louis XIV in 1682 and became the epicentre of French royalty. In 1883 it became a national museum open to the public and it was the first French site to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.

The Paris 2024 equestrian events will play out over its 2,000 acres of parkland, and a temporary outdoor arena, flanked by several stands, has been created on the Etoile Royale esplanade to the west of the Grand Canal at the heart of the palace’s gardens. The Eventing cross-country course will take competitors across the Canal and along both sides of it, with the Château providing the most stunning backdrop.

Despite challenging weather conditions works on site are well up to speed with all major infrastructure in place including field of play, warm-up, training arenas and stable tents. Right now internal fit-out is underway including stable boxes, the veterinary clinic, the media centre and the judge’s tower. The main cross-country obstacle features such as water jumps, banks and ditches have been completed for some time, and other obstacles will be brought in as pre-constructed portable jumps and positioned by the course designer in the coming weeks. 

It won’t be long until all the facilities are buzzing with even more activity when the horses begin to arrive on 24 July.

Eventing

Eventing will stand alone in that the entire competition will run, without interruption, on consecutive days between 26 and 29 July. 

It will begin with the First Horse Inspection on Friday 26 July at 09.30, and the following day 65 horse-and-rider combinations will line out in the Dressage phase, also starting at 09.30 local time.

Eventing Cross-Country is bound to attract a massive audience on Sunday 28 July as the sound of galloping hooves will thunder out across the royal turf beginning at 10.30 in the morning and running right through to 15.00.

And on Monday 29 July, following the Second Horse Inspection at 08.00, both the Team and Individual medals will be awarded following the final Jumping phase back in the arena. The Team medals will be decided in the round that begins at 11.00, and at 15.00 the top-25 will battle it out for the Individual title.

The Dressage Test for Eventing will be the 2024 Olympic Games 5* test (short), the cross-country course will be a maximum of 5,800 metres long with a maximum time of 10 minutes. And the height of fences in the final Jumping phase will be 1.25m for the Team competition and 1.30m for the Individuals.

Officials for Eventing will include:

Technical Delegate                -    Marcin Konarski (POL)
Ground Jury President           -    Christina Klingspor (SWE)
Ground Jury Member             -    Xavier Le Sauce (FRA)
Ground Jury Member             -    Robert Stevenson (USA)
Assistant Technical Delegate   -    Gaston Bileitczuk (FRA)
Course Designer                    -    Pierre le Goupil (FRA)

A total of 16 Teams and 48 athletes will compete for the Team medals including the hosts from France along with Germany, New Zealand, Great Britain, USA, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan and Italy. Team athletes also compete for the Individual medals.

An additional 17 Individual quota places are allocated through the FEI Olympic Groups and the overall FEI Olympic ranking. The regional distribution covers
North Western Europe, South Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North America, Central & South America, Africa and the Middle East, South East Asia and Oceania.

Dressage

The first Horse Inspection for Dressage will be held on Sunday 28 July at 08.00, and at 11.00 on Tuesday morning 30 July the first 30 horse-and-rider combinations will compete in the Grand Prix while the remaining 30 will do their tests on Wednesday 31.

The top ten ranked Teams in the Grand Prix, including those tied for tenth place, will qualify for the FEI Grand Prix Special which will begin at 10.00 on 3 August and will decide the Team medals.

The second Dressage Horse Inspection will take place at 08.00 on 4 August and will be followed at 10.00 by the Grand Prix Freestyle. This is the Individual Final Competition which is open to 18 combinations qualified from the FEI Grand Prix. The Individual medal ceremony is scheduled for 13.30 on Sunday afternoon. 

Officials for Dressage will include: 

Ground Jury President          -    Raphael Saleh (FRA)
Ground Jury Member            -    Henning Lehrmann (GER)
Ground Jury Member            -    Isobel Wessels (GBR)
Ground Jury Member            -    Mariette Sanders (NED)
Ground Jury Member            -    Magnus Ringmark (SWE)
Ground Jury Member            -    Michael Osinski (USA)
Ground Jury Member            -    Susanne Baarup (DEN)

The Judges Supervisory Panel will consist of:

Member                    -    Andrew Gardner (GBR)
Member                    -    Mary Seefried (AUS)
Member                    -    Henk van Bergen (NED)

There will be a total of 15 Teams and 45 athletes along with 15 Individual competitors. The qualified Teams are France, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, USA, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Canada,  Australia, Portugal, Finland.

Another 15 countries will be represented by Individuals. Places are allocated through FEI Olympic Groups, qualification events and the FEI Olympic Ranking list.

Jumping

The Jumping horses arrive on 30 July and their First Horse Inspection takes place the next day, followed by an evening Training session from 17.15 to 20.00.

The Team Qualifier on Thursday 1 August begins at 11.00 and is open to 20 teams consisting of three athletes per team with all three scores counting. 

The Team Final, which kicks off on Friday 2 August at 14.00, is open to the ten best placed teams in Thursday’s competition including those tied for tenth place. Teams that withdraw before the start on Friday will not be replaced, and all teams taking part in the Team Final re-start with zero penalties.

The contest for the Individual medals will take place over two days beginning on Monday 5 August with 75 starters from which the top-30 will go through to the Individual Final on Tuesday 6 August, running in reverse order of classification and all starting again on a zero scoreline. 

The Final competition, which will begin at 10.00, will be conducted under Jumping Rules Art. 238.2.2, with one round against the clock with a jump-off in case of a tie on penalties for first place and will bring the equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to a close.  

Officials for Jumping will include:

Ground Jury President  -    Frances Hesketh-Jones (ITA)
Member                      -    Patrice Alvado (FRA)
Member                      -    Harrij Braspenning (NED)
Member                      -    David Distler (USA)
Member                      -    Karoly Fugli (HUN)
Course Designer          -    Santiago Varela (ESP)
Co-Course Designer     -    Gregory Bodo (FRA)

The 20 qualified Teams are France, Sweden, Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, Poland, USA, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Japan and Brazil. 

Another 15 countries will be represented by Individuals and again places are allocated through FEI Olympic Groups, qualification events and the FEI Olympic Ranking list.

Deadline

There’s just over two weeks left to go before the deadline for National Federations to submit Certificates of Capability to the FEI on 25 June while Monday 8 July is the deadline for Definite Entries. By then we will have the full list of horses and athletes in all disciplines, including those on the reserve lists. 

The Games of the XXXlll Olympiad are just around the corner. Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Timetable

https://inside.fei.org/fei/games/paris2024/timetable

Rules and Regulations for all disciplines here

The FEI Board has unanimously approved an Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan and established a dedicated Equine Welfare Fund of CHF 1 million (USD 1’119’000; EUR 1’030’000) to launch the plan. The decision was taken during the Board’s in-person meeting at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 4 and 5 June 2024.

The Action Plan is based on the recommendations outlined in the Final Report of the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission (EEWC) and comprises six priority areas of focus:

• Training, Riding, Tack and Equipment;
• Recognised Physical and Emotional Stress;
• Accountability, Enforcement and Knowledge;
• The Other 23 Hours;
• Competitive Drive/Horse as a Number/Object;
• Not Fit to Compete/Masking Health Problems.

 

The focus areas were divided into action points and entered into a matrix linking each point to the recommendations made by the EEWC, persons or groups in charge of delivery, finances, and deadlines. A series of other actions not linked to the six focus areas but addressing the EEWC recommendations have also been incorporated into the Action Plan, including education on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare approach, communications strategy, and reporting mechanisms.

“This is an important day for horse welfare and the FEI,” FEI President, Ingmar De Vos said. “The Board took its responsibility and devoted time to discuss the detailed Action Plan with keen interest. Significant actions have been outlined, which will benefit horse welfare and will have a powerful impact on the sport as a whole. I want to take this opportunity to thank our NFs, stakeholders and equestrian community members for their feedback during and after the dedicated Sports Forum session which has greatly assisted the FEI in producing a tangible Action Plan.”

The Action Plan will be finalised with the suggestions made by the Board and will be published shortly. Implementation will begin immediately with the objective to propose initial rule changes that safeguard horse welfare at the FEI General Assembly 2024. The Plan, which includes scientific research projects, offers an ongoing perspective that will continue to deliver in the coming years.

The remaining key decisions taken by the Board during its in-person meeting are available here.

It came down to more than ‘luck of the Irish’ for the home side to take the third leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ at Millstreet (IRL) this weekend. After finishing in fifth and therefore last place in the Dressage phase, they fought back to rise up the order into third position after Saturday’s Jumping phase- where all riders had clears. This was before dominating the cross-country phase with four very fast clear rounds to put them on a final score of 110.2. It took on extra significance because despite numerous attempts, this was the first time Ireland has won a Nations Cup event on home turf. 

In second place were a highly experienced all-female team representing the USA, who finished on 113.7. Team Australia was just a whisker off with 114.2, which was particularly impressive given they were only fielding three team members. 

Speaking after the prize-giving ceremony, Chef d’Equipe of the Irish Team, Dan Albert was delighted that his team were victorious, as despite being a traditionally good Eventing nation, they have had less success in the Nations Cup series over the years.  “It was really tight but they (the riders) all have very good jumpers and, most importantly, they really wanted to win on home ground. There was a bit of pressure on Jenny (Kuehnle) to come up with the goods as last to go but she pulled it off. They are a good bunch of riders and they have all come up through the system.”

Jennifer Kuehnle, with her German bred horse Polly Blue Eyes, and Patrick Whelan riding the Irish Sport Horse Altitude, showed real jumping ability by finishing on their Dressage scores around this short-format competition. This gave Ireland a helpful boost, further supported by Ian Cassells jumping a double clear with just 2.4 cross-country time penalties on Millridge Atlantis. Robbie Kearney Irish bred Ballyvillane OBOS had no jumping faults but a handful of time faults in each phase. 

Whilst this was technically the third leg of the Series, after the last-minute cancellation of the second leg at Chatsworth due to excessive rainfall, a number of riders had re-routed their horses here to Ireland, were the sun shone on Millstreet and big crowds turned out to watch. The riders and supporters were full of praise for the event. Technical delegate Neil Mackenzie-Hall from New Zealand said: “It was a brilliant competition and a great result. Eventing is about three disciplines and today cross-country proved the decider.”

Millstreet rarely fails to attract a top-class field and this year was no exception with a number of high-profile riders in the Team competition including Clarke Johnstone, Tim and Jonelle Price from New Zealand; two-time Olympian William Levett (AUS) as well as a highly experienced female team from the USA, all of whom have successfully competed at five-star level. Five nations came forward with Great Britain and New Zealand winding up on fourth and fifth respectively. 

As well as leading riders, Millstreet had all the charm you would expect for an Irish event and is set amidst the spectacular parkland setting in the grounds of Drishane Castle. Run by the Duggan family, Millstreet International Horse Trials has long been a popular event for riders largely owing to their challenging but well-prepared cross-country courses which are designed by Mike Etherington-Smith. The Course Designer is recognised as one of the best in the world, and renowned for giving elite riders and their horses the best preparation for Championships. 

Testament to this is the fact Etherington-Smith designed the cross-country courses for the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and Hong Kong in 2008, in addition to the World Championships in 2010 and the European Championships in 2005, 2019 and 2021. Once again, riders were full of praise for both the ground conditions and the event as a whole. The Duggan family are great enthusiasts of the sport, hosting international competition for many years. 

At this early stage in the competition, Team Australia lead the way on 140 points with France and Ireland on 100 points each. The Nations Cup series goes on to Avenches in Switzerland which will be held next weekend (6-9 June) with the time-honoured autumn finale held in Boekelo (NED) from 10-13 October.

FULL RESULTS

The third leg of the Longines League of Nations™, due to take place at St. Gallen (SUI) on Friday afternoon (31 May) has been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. 

Following a prolonged period of heavy rain in Europe over the past few days, including on-site in St. Gallen, the decision was taken this morning, after discussions that involved the FEI, Ground Jury, Organising committee, Chefs d’Equipe and athletes, to cancel the Longines League of Nations™ leg in the Swiss town. 

Todd Hinde, FEI Jumping Director, said;

“Despite extensive planning, the weather conditions made the situation extremely difficult and we very much appreciate the efforts of riders, chefs, grooms, officials and the Organiser in trying to find solutions in the challenging circumstances.  While this is regrettable, we believe under the circumstances this was the right decision to make.”

In terms of how this impacts the points allocated for the 2024 Series, there will be no Longines League of Nations™ points and no final standing from the St. Gallen leg. The league will continue with the next leg in Rotterdam on 21 June, and the standings for Barcelona (ESP) would be calculated based on the 3 Qualifiers of Abu Dhabi (UAE), Ocala (USA) and Rotterdam (NED), instead of 4.

After building a strong and successful consultancy, rights and distribution partnership with the Fédération Equestre Internationale [FEI] over the last two years, the team in the media partnerships division of global sports production and content business, Sunset+Vine, is thrilled to announce they will be partnering with the world governing body for equestrian sports once again, for a new three-year contract.

As part of this contract, Sunset+Vine will be supporting in the distributing of the media rights, including the three Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. Competitions include the 2025 and 2027 FEI European Championships and the 2026 FEI World Championships, as well as the FEI’s new, exciting Team Jumping Series – the ‘Longines League of Nations™’.

The partnership will serve to maximise the televised exposure of Equestrian sports around the world, complementing FEI.TV, the global OTT platform operated by ClipMyHorse that delivers livestream coverage and Video on Demand of FEI events across the world.

Sarsfield Brolly, Head of Media Partnerships at Sunset+Vine, commented: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to build on the consultancy that we have been providing to the FEI over the last two years, and cement a long-term contract in looking after their premium events.”

Ralph Straus, Commercial Director at FEI, added: "We are very pleased to renew our partnership with Sunset+Vine.  Their expertise and commitment to showcasing our sport will be invaluable, and this new agreement will not only enhance the visibility of our premier events, but also bring the excitement of equestrian sports to a broader global audience."

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About Sunset+Vine:
Sunset+Vine is a leading UK production company providing a range of services from host broadcast, programme production, content, digital and social and distribution services to a wide range of UK and international clients. Sunset+Vine has offices in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Milan, and Singapore.

For more information regarding Sunset+Vine, please email: sophie.ives@tinopolis.tv 

They’ve had it all their own way at the last two editions of CSIO St Gallen, but Team Switzerland face a mighty task in their quest to make it a hat-trick of victories on home ground when the third leg of the brand new Longines League of Nations™ 2024 gets underway in ten days' time.

The ten competing countries are battling it out for the eight places on offer at the inaugural Final which will take place at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain on 6 October. And after two thrilling legs so far, the leaderboard is headed by Ireland, winners in Ocala, USA in March while Team Germany who came out on top in the opening leg of the iconic new series at Abu Dhabi, UAE in February lie close behind in second place. 

Switzerland lies third ahead of USA, Brazil, Sweden and The Netherlands. But already battling it out for that eighth and last place with only two more legs to go are Belgium, France and Great Britain. Just ten weeks ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games every nation wants to look strong, so it’s no surprise that amongst the athletes signed up for next week’s penultimate qualifier are the top three in the world rankings who, between them, hold the individual Olympic, World and European titles.

Selection

The British selection includes Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher along with Harry Charles, Tim Gredley and Robert Whitaker, and they know they have a job to do to move their country off that bottom end of the LLN leaderboard. 

The same applies to Team Belgium, and Chef d’Equipe Peter Weinberg sends out a sharp side with Abdel Saïd joined by rising star Gilles Thomas and the experienced duo of Koen Vereecke and Gregory Wathelet, the latter a member of the bronze-medal-winning team in Tokyo three years ago.

The French meanwhile are also sharing that eighth and last place with just 85 points racked up to date, and Henk Nooren has chosen Francois Xavier Boudant, Marc Dilasser, Aurelien Leroy and Olivier Perreau to buoy up their chances at the next leg. 

The Dutch need to add to the 115 points they have collected in order to stay well out of the danger zone and with Willem Greve, Harrie Smolders and the Van Asten brothers Leopold and Mathijs on call-up this time around they look well set to do just that. 

Just five points ahead of The Netherlands are Team Sweden who finished third in the opening leg of the series but ninth last time out. World number one, double World Champion and the man who collected his second successive Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ title in thrilling fashion in Riyadh, KSA last month, Henrik von Eckermann was on both of those teams, jumping double-clear in Abu Dhabi but picking up eight faults in Ocala where Henrik Ankarcrona’s side failed to make it into the second round. They’ll be expected to be back to their normal level of brilliance in St Gallen where von Eckermann will be joined by Wilma Hellström, Amanda Landeblad and Fredrik Spetz. 

Fifth

In fifth place on the leaderboard are Team Brazil, and although St Gallen is known as something of a fairytale town in Swiss folklore it was no fairytale for the South American visitors last year when they lost out to the hosts in a two-way third-round jump-off against the clock. They’ll be wanting to put that to rights this time out, and with Luciana Diniz, Santiago Lambre, Yuri Mansur and Pedro Veniss saddling up they look ready to present powerful opposition to the rest of the field.

The Swiss are taking no chances either however. It was Martin Fuchs who clinched that 2023 victory, all the more sweet for the fact that it was two-in-a-row after a drought of 22 years for the host nation. And the world number five rider is backed up by 2012 Olympic gold medallist, multiple World Cup champion and reigning individual European champion Steve Guerdat once again next week along with Alain Jufer and the rock-solid Pius Schwizer. The home team won’t be giving anything away easily that’s for sure.

They lie a comfortable third on the leaderboard, with a 15-point advantage over the fourth-placed Americans who carry 135 points. Robert Ridland’s US team consists of Natalie Dean, Katie Dinan, Callie Schott and Spencer Smith who will be aiming to improve on that running tally.

At the top

At the top of the League table the Irish have a 30-point advantage over Germany in second place, but German team manager Otto Becker is bringing out more of his big guns in an effort to alter that. His very much on-form foursome of Hans-Dieter Dreher, Andre Thieme, Richard Vogel and Jana Wargers are a formidable force, and Michael Blake’s Irish side of Bertram Allen, Denis Lynch, Mark McAuley and Cian O’Connor will probably need to be at their very best to keep them from moving ahead before the final qualifier in Rotterdam in The Netherlands at the end of June.

Of course the format for the newly minted Longines League of Nations™ adds a whole new level of pressure for every team, with only the top eight sides and only three of the four team members returning to decide the result in the second round. 

Tense, fiercely competitive, fascinating and completely unpredictable the series has already produced superb sport, and you can watch it continue to unfold in St Gallen on Friday 31 May when the excitement begins with the Parade of Nations at 15.30 local time.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Following the FEI’s previous announcement regarding the withdrawal of Rotterdam (NED) and Falsterbo (SWE) competitions from the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2024 calendar, the FEI can confirm that both Organising Committees have requested to revert to the original plan of hosting a leg of the series. This decision comes after both Organising Committees have communicated to the FEI their inability to accommodate a regular CDIO scheduling format this year.
 
The FEI has supported this request, facilitating the reinstatement of the CDIO-NC at both venues for 2024. As previously communicated, all stakeholders will meet following the conclusion of the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2024 and review the series for the coming year.
 
After the withdrawal of team Spain, the Organising Committee for the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ qualifier in Pilisjászfalu (HUN) has informed the FEI that they will not be hosting the event this weekend - 8 to 12 May 2024 - and will therefore be withdrawing from the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2024 calendar.  

The dates of the remaining legs of the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2024 are:

• Rotterdam (NED) - 20 to 23 June 2024

• Falsterbo (SWE) – 11 to 14 July 2024

• Long-term FEI and WBD agreement will scale coverage of the world’s best riders to millions of viewers across 75 markets in Europe and Asia 
• Equestrian sporting action brought to fans through Eurosport, discovery+ and Max
• Trojan Paillot: “We enjoy a highly successful long-term relationship with the FEI and have a proven track record of exposing new fans to different sports” 

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has agreed a new multi-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) that will see major events on the international equestrian circuit screened in 75 markets across Europe and Asia.

These include the entire Longines FEI League of Nations™ season until at least 2027; the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League until at least the 2027/2028 season; the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League (NAL) until at least 2027/2028; and the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals until at least 2028.

Live and Highlights coverage of all events will be showcased on Eurosport’s television channels in addition to live and on-demand streaming access for discovery+ and Max* subscribers. The agreement means equestrian is positioned alongside other world-class sports as part of the most varied live content offer and further demonstrates WBD’s commitment to screening more Olympic sports than any other broadcaster while telling the stories of its athletes through a year-round narrative.

Trojan Paillot, SVP Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndications at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “As a premium multi-sport broadcaster, our mission is to offer the greatest choice through a compelling content offer for fans. In our role as the Home of the Olympics in Europe, including being the only place to watch all of Paris 2024, LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032, our ambition includes telling the stories of Olympic sports and its athletes throughout the year, not just during the 19 days of competition during the Games.

“We are pleased to harness our deep sports expertise in tandem with our unmatched reach and ability to engage the widest audience across all platforms to help further grow sports such as equestrian. By working as a trusted partner to federations such as the FEI, where we enjoy a highly successful long-term relationship, we have a proven track record of exposing new fans to a plethora of different sports while keeping them engaged throughout the year.”

Ralph Straus, Commercial Director, at FEI, said: “This multi-year partnership between the FEI and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is a natural progression in a working relationship that has been built through mutual respect for the knowledge and expertise that each partner brings to the table.

“The FEI's deep understanding of equestrian audiences, coupled with WBD's unparalleled expertise in TV Broadcast to deliver the stories of athletes and the sport, has proven to be an ideal combination.  Crafting compelling content is not solely about catering to equestrian enthusiasts worldwide; it is also about sparking curiosity and interest among a broader range of fans, and to foster deeper connection with the sport.

“With the launch of the new Longines League of Nations series and the excitement surrounding the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup and the Olympic Games, there is no better time than this year to take our working relationship to a next level.”

WBD showcases more live action from Olympic and Winter Olympic sports than any other broadcaster. As the Home of the Olympics in Europe, WBD holds the rights to the Olympics in Europe for the next eight years, covering four Olympic Summer Games and Olympic Winter Games, to Brisbane 2032, and its platforms will be the only places in Europe to watch all of the Olympics live. This includes every minute of the Eventing, Dressage and Jumping events from the Château de Versailles at Paris 2024 taking place from 27 July to 6 August.   

 

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Notes to editors

*discovery+ is currently available in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK and Ireland.

From Spring 2024, Max will initially launch in 25 countries in Europe that currently offer HBO Max, integrating Eurosport content and replacing discovery+ or the Eurosport App.

 

About Warner Bros. Discovery Sports

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe represents WBD’s portfolio of sports brands, channels, and platforms in Europe. It collectively reaches 130 million people every month, engaging fans and broad audiences in more than 200 markets and in 20 languages across all platforms where consumers are spending time: free-to-air TV, pay-TV, streaming, online and social. 

WBD Sports Europe includes the much-loved consumer brands Eurosport, Global Cycling Network (GCN), Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN), Golf Digest and TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, as well sports programming and content on WBD’s free-to-air TV networks and streaming on discovery+ and Max from Spring 2024 in an initial 25 markets. They connect audiences with the greatest sporting events in the world. This includes being the Home of the Olympics Games in Europe; tennis’ Grand Slams; cycling’s Grand Tours, more than 300 days of live cycling per year, the UCI Track Champions League, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series; the PGA TOUR year-round in some markets; The Ocean Race; the Snooker World Tour; the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship; the FIM Speedway GP, Speedway of Nations and Speedway World Cup; and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup event. 

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Each year, Danish chef d'equipe Anne-Mette Binder has her high performance riders make a wish list: In which events would you most like to compete? When she weighed the wishes with the results, she came up with her three-rider squad for the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ of Compiegne (FRA).

It proved to be a winning formula.

Denmark captured an impressive win Saturday in the CDIO5* Nations Cup event, a key component in Binder's "milestone plan" ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (FRA). Daniel Bachmann Andersen (Vayron), Nanna Skodborg Merrald (Blue Hors St. Schufro), and Carina Cassoe Krüth (Heiline's Danciera) bested a competitive field of nine teams with a winning point total of 225.500. Sweden finished second (218.239), with the home nation third (215.261).

"It's a very important competition here for us. This is in our 'milestone plan'—so we call it—where we watch the riders, and then from all the events that we have put into our milestone plan...we will select the final [Olympic] team."

Anne-Mette Binder (DEN)

The Danish trio excelled in what could have been viewed as a tryout of sorts for Paris. Leadoff rider Bachmann Andersen shined brightest in the Grand Prix test, scoring 76.152% aboard Vayron, his mount from the 2023 European Championships (GER). The personal best score was also good enough for second individually in the competition. Danish riders, in fact finished second, third and fourth individually.

"Daniel is very experienced, and Vayron was also in Riesenbeck for the European Championships. But still, they as a pair are relatively new for these bigger events and championships. [Daniel] really fulfilled our hopes and expectations."

Anne-Mette Binder (DEN)

Bachmann Andersen has only been paired with the 13-year-old Westphalian stallion for two years, but they found success almost immediately when stepping into international competition together. Since their championship debut last summer, Bachmann Andersen has focused on fitness and building up his partner's strength, particularly in his extension.

"He came to me when he was 11, and he hadn't done the real Grand Prix yet," Bachmann Andersen said. "I've been working a lot with getting him [stronger] and getting more stable and really being able to lengthen his frame and extension, and all of that succeeded really well [today].

"The transition out of the piaffe was better than it's ever been, and I think almost my entire counter-canter was very convincing," he added. "I think he was really with me, and it was really nice."

Krüth and Skodborg Merrald showcased the strengths of long-term partnerships. Their scores nearly mirrored one another, with Krüth earning marks of 74.913% and Skodborg Merrald receiving 74.435%. Krüth was also a part of the squad that won this same competition a year ago.

"I have been riding [Heiline's Danciera] since she was four years old. She actually had her own foal when she was four, so she was a little bit late in her education," Krüth shared. "But she's quite a fast learner, and she's not a big horse, so she's quite easy in her body, and she's always been very practical in her movements...I've been riding her forever. It's like a marriage."

World No. 4 Skodborg Merrald recently finished second in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final with Blue Hors Don Olymbrio. With a strong group in her stable, she brought out Blue Hors St. Schufro for stallion's first international start of 2024. 

"I've been riding him since he was seven," Skodborg Merrald said. "It's quite a longer relationship with him now, and he's just super nice to ride. It's a lot of fun every day with him."

Winning the lone five-star event of the 2024 season, the Danish catapulted themselves up the series leaderboard to sit third after two events on 15 points. Sweden leads the way after finishing third in Wellington (USA) and has 20 points. Wellington's victors, Germany follows closely behind in second with 19 points.

The 2024 FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series concludes in Budapest (HUN), 8-12 May.

Full results